Nutrition Lesson Plan 102: Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins:

Vitamins – organic compounds which means they contain carbon, essential for life.

Either water soluble or fat soluble meaning they either need water or fat to be digested and absorbed.

Water soluble include (all are B-vitamins expect for vitamin C):

Vit C

Thiamin

Riboflavin

Niacin

B12

Folic acid

Biotin

Pantothenic acid

Fat soluble include:

Vitamin A

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Vitamin K

Vitamin A

Active form is retinal.

Also found in inactive form, which is activated by the body. This form is carotene (i.e. beta carotene found in carrots)

Vital for vision especially night vision

Needed for repair of tissue and bone

Involved in reproduction and fetal development

Helps immune system function

Food sources include – whole eggs, dairy, beef liver, dark green vegetables, yellow/orange colored vegetables

B-Vitamins

Group of vitamins all involved in turning the food we eat into useable energy by the body

Include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid

Some B vitamins work solely to turn the food we eat into useable energy. Others have additional roles
o Thiamin (B1) assists the nervous system, heart muscle and regulates appetite
o Riboflavin (B2) plays a role in mucous membrane formation and skin formation
o B6 helps maintain normal homocysteine levels in the blood, which is an amino acid that helps reduce the risk of heart disease
o Folic acid (B9) helps form brain and spinal cord during fetal development and is involved in cell division and red blood
cell formation

B vitamins are widespread in the food supply. Found mostly in green vegetables, meats, dairy and fortified foods

B12 is the only B vitamin not found in plant foods and therefore needs to be supplemented for those who are vegan

Vitamin C

Aka ascorbic acid

Functions as antioxidant

Assists formation of collegen

Needed for wound healing

Decreases risk of cancer and heart disease

Found in fruits, vegetables especially citrus, bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, potatoes, bananas and carrots

Vitamin D

Known as the sunshine vitamin because we get most of what we need from sun exposure

Needed for calcium absorption

Helps maintain bones and teeth

Prevents rickets and osteoporosis

Assists in immune function, cell growth, fetal development

Lately has been shown to reduce risks of some cancers

Found in fatty fish, cod liver oil, dairy that has been fortified, egg yolks and beef liver

Vitamin E

Acts as an antioxidant

Contributes to immune function and DNA repair

Sources include vegetable oil, nuts, beans, whole grains and fortified cereals

Vitamin K

Plays an essential role in blood clotting

Main source is green leafy vegetables, cabbage, beef liver

Synthesized somewhat by the bacteria in the large intestine so we get some of what we need by our own body production

That finishes the Vitamin section of the nutrition lesson plan.

Minerals

This section of the nutrition lesson plan covers minerals. Categorized as either major or trace dependent upon how much our body needs. Trace minerals are needed just as much for function but they are needed in much smaller amounts than major minerals.

Major minerals include:

Calcium

Phosphorus

Potassium

Sodium

Chloride

Magnesium

Sulfur

Trace minerals include:

Iron

Iodine

Zinc

Chromium

Selenium

Fluoride

Molybdenum

Copper

Manganese

Minerals are inorganic, they do not contain carbon. They are much more simple in structure than vitamins. Therefore they are much less vulnerable to damage from heat, light, cooking, processing etc. They can be bound to other substances, such as oxylates in spinach and tea and phytates in legumes and grains, making them unavailable for digestion by the body.

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Calcium

Involved in bone and teeth structure

Aids in muscle contraction, blood clotting, blood vessel contraction and dilation

Found in dairy foods, dark green vegetables, seaweeds, canned fish with edible bones, soy, sesame, almonds, fortified foods

Fluoride

Plays role in bone health

Prevents tooth decay and cavities

Found in fortified tap water, tea and seafood

Fortified toothpaste

Iodine

Needed for thyroid function

Found in iodized salt, seafood

Iron

Needed for the formation of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in muscle, both of which are oxygen carrying cells

Sources include red meat, organ meats, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, enriched grains

We absorb animal form better than plant form. Vitamin C source improves absorption of plant form

Magnesium

Assists in nerve and muscle function

Regulates muscle contractions and blood clotting

Maintains bones and teeth

Helps prevent constipation

Sources include green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains

Phosphorus

Required for bone and tooth structure

Part of DNA

Found in most foods including animal and plant

Potassium

Maintains water and electrolyte balance

Helps control activities of heart, muscle and nervous system

Present in almost all animal and plant foods

Selenium

Functions as antioxidant

Helps prevent some cancers

Found in meat, chicken, fish, seafood, brazil nuts, grains, garlic, mushrooms

Sodium

regulates water and electrolyte balance

required for nerve and muscle activity

maintains regular acid/base balance

Found in table salt, soy sauce, milk products, sea vegetables

Zinc

Assists in the activity of numerous enzymes

Essential to immune function and wound healing

Aids in DNA synthesis and reproduction

Maintains sense of smell and taste

Food sources include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, whole grains, fortified cereals, and legumes

That concludes this nutrition lesson plan on vitamins and minerals. What did you think of our nutrition lesson plan?

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